Squeeze containers are widely known and used for containing and dispensing a wide variety of viscous liquid products, such as body lotions. Squeeze containers typically have a flat base adapted for resting the container in an “upright” orientation that is substantially opposite of the dispensing orientation, in which the squeeze container is actually used. In the upright orientation the viscous product rests on the base within the container and air is trapped in the head space between the viscous product and the cap. To dispense the viscous product, the squeeze container is first inverted from its upright position wherein the viscous product and the air exchange places, such that the viscous product flows toward the opening of the container under the force of gravity, thereby displacing the air to a position between the viscous product and the base of the container. A user opens the cap and squeezes the container to reduce the interior volume of the package, thereby forcing the viscous product out of the cap. When finished dispensing, the user releases pressure and reorients the package in the upright position, such that the remaining viscous product flows back toward the base of the container and “replacement” air is permitted to vent through the discharge opening and into the container, thereby normalizing the atmospheric pressure in the container to permit the sidewall to recover its original shape. Thereafter, the cap is sealed until the next use. The fresh air is termed “replacement” air because it replaces or compensates for the displacement and lost volume of the viscous product. One disadvantage with such a dispensing container is that it is not continuously ready for immediate dispensing of the viscous product.
Squeeze containers, such as squeeze bottles, are becoming increasingly popular for dispensing viscous products, like liquid soap and shampoo. Squeeze bottles can be sleekly styled dispensing packages, which in certain styles do not include a flat base capable of supporting the bottle in an upright position; rather the bottle's cap provides a flat surface for support. A cap includes a flat end adapted for resting the bottle in an orientation that is substantially the same as its intended dispensing orientation. In its normal dispensing orientation, and with the cap in a sealed position, the viscous product rests next to the dispensing cap, and a head of air is trapped between the viscous product and the end wall of the bottle. One advantage of such a dispensing package is that the viscous product contained therein is generally immediately adjacent the dispensing opening, and is thus continuously ready for quick dispensing without having to invert the bottle. To dispense the viscous product, a user opens the cap and squeezes the bottle to reduce the interior volume, thereby forcing the viscous product out of the dispensing opening. When finished, the user releases the pressure, seals the cap, and rests the squeeze bottle on the flat base of the cap until the next use.
Unfortunately, however, the typical squeeze bottle does not readily permit venting of a fresh supply of replacement air in between uses or replacement air becomes trapped between the viscous product and the dispensing opening. This trapped air becomes a bubble making it more difficult for a user to dispense the product, as a user must first squeeze the bottle to expel the trapped air then squeeze again to actually dispense the product.
Further, due to the viscous nature of certain products, such as toothpastes, shampoos, comestibles, paints, lotions, cosmetics, or cleaning products, a residual amount may be left in the ends, along the sides, or edges of a bottle during normal use. In many cases, due to the particular shape of the bottle, a consumer is unable to dispense such residual product. This unused, residual product is often disposed of along with the bottle.
The bottle can be redesigned to improve product evacuation, but such redesigns can be costly and may not result in a significant decrease in the amount of residual product left in the bottle after normal use. For example, product release from a bottle can, in some cases, be improved by modifying the bottle shape or geometry to have shoulder portions that minimize the amount of residual product that remains in such areas. However, redesigning a bottle shape is costly, as new molds are typically required.
Other attempts to improve product release involve modifying the inner surface of the bottles. The entire bottle inner surface may be corona or plasma treated to modify the surface energy/wetting tension ability of the bottle material or a release coating may be applied to the inner surface of the bottle to provide a surface that the product may more easily release from.
Accordingly, there is a desire for a bottle that allows for improved product application while reducing the amount of unused residual product.